The Assam Tribune
Sobhapati Samom
October 8, 2015
– The Himalayan Legislators’ Meet here has asserted the need for a separate set of governmental policies that are specific for the mountain States.
Stressing the need for the involvement of local people in the functioning of schemes, the Legislators’ Meet also discussed the need to raise the issue of formulating a separate building code for mountains at different forums including the State Assemblies and the Parliament.
The 4th Himalayan Legislators’ meet was held under the aegis of the Global Legislators Organisation (GLOBE) India at the conference hall of Arunachal Pradesh Tourism Department with Lok Sabha MPs Bhubaneswar Kalita, PD Rai, Speaker of Arunachal Assembly Nabam Rebia in the chair. It was attended by around 20 legislators from the host State, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Tripura, Uttarakhand and Ladakh region.
The Meet was held on the second day of the ongoing three-day Sustainable Mountain Development Summit – IV (SMDS IV) with the participation of 235 delegates from 10 Indian Himalayan mountain States and neighbouring countries – Nepal and Bhutan.
The participants in the meet welcomed the decision of Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar to meet MPs from Himalayan States to discuss issues related to the sustainable development of mountain States during the Winter session of Parliament.
Lok Sabha MP from Sikkim and secretary GLOBE India PD Rai stressed the importance of advocacy within the Northeastern States so that effective policies and frameworks can be worked out for climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Dy Speaker from Uttrakhand, AP Maikhuri, called for more Central funding for developmental projects and stressed the importance of involving local people in government schemes. MLA Lalit Paswan, also from Uttarakhand, stressed the need for Green Bonus to be released immediately for the protection of the Himalayan ecology and the development of the States.
Dr Jemino Mawthoh of Meghalaya emphasised the need for sensitisation of legislators at the State level to enable them to articulate in a better way and to include all stakeholders for climate change. Councillor from Ladakh, Punchok Tashi stressed the need for a separate set of governmental policies that are specific to the mountain States.
